No guy wants a beer belly. Right? Most would rather have a “six-pack.” Of course. But what if you could have a six-pack AND a beer belly at the same time? Well, now you can. The Beerbelly is a “removable spare tire” that holds 80 oz of beer (more than a six-pack), allowing you to bring your favorite beverage into any event. A while back I spoke with the product’s inventor, Brooks Lambert.

And now, you finally get to hear the podcast.

Download the mp3 (right click and “save target as” to download to your computer)

Brooks told me that his company, Under Development Inc, was born to help others develop their ideas. His most famous invention – The Beerbelly – started out more or less as a joke that took on a life of its own. “We let the group choose a problem to solve, and then brainstormed ideas about solutions. The next thing you know, a buddy and I are cutting up a wetsuit and stuffing a CamelBak (a hands-free hydration system used by hikers) bladder in as an example of rapid prototyping.” That day, the Beerbelly was born. Their latest invention is the female version, called the Winerack. I’ll let you guess what that is.

Although these are fun products, Brooks’ main interests lie in more “socially redeeming” ventures. One day, Brooks and some buddies were brainstorming ideas. “We thought it would be cool if we could make a surf chair for the kids who can’t hold themselves up. The next day I made some calls and we found a race car seat manufacturer who was willing to make a custom shaped aluminum seat. We then got one of our local surfboard shapers to build a custom board to accommodate the chair, crossed our fingers, and voila, the surfchair was born. It works way better than we imagined and now it gets used on a regular basis.” This invention is used as part of the Ride-A-Wave charity, a 100% volunteer/nonprofit group that takes kids with all kinds of disabilities out surfing for the day.

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In a previous blog entry, I commented on Michael Wiederman’s article in Scientific American Mind entitled, “Why It’s So Hard to Be Happy.” Dr. Wiederman is a Professor of Psychology at Columbia College and a proponent of the “goal-free” philosophy. Today we spoke for 30 minutes discussing many topics including goals, happiness, money, performance, investing, and so much more. This “goal-free” conversation (yes, it was completely unscripted & unplanned) contains some fascinating perspectives on how to live more powerfully.

Click here to download the MP3 interview (23 Meg)

Right click and “Save Target As…” to download and save

While researching the goal-free concept, I was introduced to Dr. Doug Gardner, the former sports psychology consultant to the Boston Red Sox. What sets Doug apart from the rest in the sports field is his belief that a myopic focus on goals – whether in sports or in life – can prevent individuals from performing their best. I featured Doug in the Goal-Free Living book, and now your can hear him speak. Welcome to our first Goal-Free Living podcast.

To download this 25 minute program, right click and “save target as”: gflgardner.mp3 (23 Meg)